THE ELECTRONIC WORKS OF GYÖRGY LIGETI AND THEIR ...

Dynamic gestures form similarly complex interconnections. Event 3a crescendos
to its compact element, while 3b and 3c crescendo with their initial diffuse elements and
decrescendo at the compact conclusions. This relationship also holds for the direction of
compact glissandi–3a’s initial crescendo is paired with a rising gliss, while the compact
glissandi that end 3b and 3c trail downwards. These relationships are summarized above
in the Table of Oppositions (Table 3.13) and on the annotations to the spectrograph in
Figure 3.20.
Event 4
There are a number of connections between Event 4 and Event 3c, though a
relatively long rest gives a clear indication of a new event. Event 4 also runs from diffuse
to compact, crescendoing through the diffuse areas and introducing the compact,
downward glissing elements with an attack-and-decrescendo pattern. It is significant that
Ligeti returns to the use of pitch-based glissandi to end this Region, and the Transition, at
2'18" (the golden mean of the piece); this reverses the relationship of the sounds which
began Region J, where pitch based material was cut off by noises and suggests an
increased flexibility in the handling of compact and diffuse materials.
Coordination of Regions H and J
As mentioned above, Regions H and J form a polyphony, yet one quite different
from that between Regions G and H. While the initial regions merely maintained their
contrasting states, Regions H and J interact more dynamically, playing off of each others’
gestures while still retaining their independence.
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